Suspected car thieves nabbed after owner sees truck driving past

Two Carson City men were arrested Wednesday morning after a vehicle owner spotted his stolen work truck driving past him on College Parkway.

Jose Luis Pena-Ruelas, 31, is being held in the Carson City jail on suspicion of grand larceny of a motor vehicle; and Noe Vallejos, age unknown, is being held on suspicion of obstructing an investigation.

According to police, the unnamed vehicle owner called police as soon as he began to follow his Ford F250 carrying a driver and passenger shortly before 10 a.m.

Possibly knowing someone was following him, the driver began to try to lose the vehicle owner, eventually turning onto Carville Court near Carson Middle School, said Carson City Sheriff's Detective Don White.

"He pulled into the driveway of a house on Carville and fled eastbound through the back yard," he said.

The alleged passenger, Vallejos, also fled, but was quickly apprehended on Albany Street, White said.

An hour later, as deputies were scouring the westside neighborhood, Deputy Wayne Wheeler spotted Pena-Ruelas lying in the snow in a back yard on Albany, according to White.

The truck was returned to the owner. A footprint found at the scene of the theft on Bunch Way was compared to a footprint found next to the truck when the driver left. Those prints matched Pena-Ruelas' shoes, White said. Tools that were in the truck when it was stolen were not recovered.

Sgt. Bob White said this recent theft is one of about 84 since September. Several cars have been stolen when they were left unattended with the engine running to warm up.

"You might as well put a sign on your car that says 'steal me' if you're going to do that," said Sgt. White.

Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.